7 Years

"Our dreams must be stronger than our memories.
We must be pulled by our dreams, rather than pushed by our memories."

--Jesse Jackson

RNC DNC OTT

I have been watching the U.S. political party convention coverage from abroad with all the intensity of someone watching a train wreck. Having lived outside America for three years now, some things now seem a heck of a lot stranger to me on the rare occassion I get a day with cable TV and CNN.

It just struck me as I sit here (in a hotel room in Mumbai) watching the speeches that Political Party National Conventions remind me of the Pantos in Britain (that is short for the pantomime shows they do around Christmas). All the cheering and jeering and audience participation and OTT (over the top) melodrama is JUST like the pantos (the primary audience for pantos, by the way, is 6 year olds). I kind of want to yell, "He's right behind you!!!!" And boo the villains and cheer the heros. As a matter of fact, that is exactly what I am doing right now as I watch the RNC coverage.

The DNC was more rock concert-meets religious revival-meets movie set-meets pep rally than anything resembling politics. Totally OTT from an event-production and glitz/glam standpoint.

As far as the RNC, it is just boring. And is it just me or does Sarah Palin look and sound exactly like Tina Fey (from Saturday Night Live)? Do you think this is just a big prank and she is doing this for some laughs? I find the fact that no one knew about this woman VEEEERRRRYYYY suspicious. I might need to "break" this story.....I sense "pulitzer prize winning investigative journalist" being added to my credentials pretty soon.

And the media comentary reminds me of American football coverage and commentary. All they need is the "CBS Chalkboard" for replays. Or wait, maybe they already have that....

And who is this CNN anchor who looks like Iman????

I think I now have deep respect for the non-showy ways other countries conduct election campaigns.

My suggestion is that we save all the crazy insane money spent on these OTT conventions (which seem only to be for entertainment value for the general public where the politicians mainly exploit their children for cheers) and perhaps donate it all to support some very deserving U.S. charities. The ICP (Independent Cat Party) would give it all to its esteemed leader's favourite charity, America's Second Harvest, which funds food banks across the country. Or, perhaps the ICP would rebuild whatever towns have just been destroyed by the latest natural disaster (we would try and get Brad Pitt involved in that, however). And instead of the big convention venues and crowds, the ICP would opt to meet over blueberry pancakes and coffee at the IHOP in Southern Maryland to strategise about how we will stay righteous and save the world after we have given all our money to worthy causes (I know, the ICP will NEVER be elected, not glamourous...but we will have a good meal and a few laughs).

Oh, and one last idea that occurred to me during all the DNC speeches: I think there should be a new drinking game where every time you hear the word "God" in a political speech you have to drink. Everyone would be wasted within 10 minutes! I am a pretty religious person, but I don't buy the way God is thrown into every single line of American political campaigning....no wonder the rest of the world thinks we are a bunch of religious nuts, as much as I am into God, the politicians pimp him out every chance they get.

This may be the most politically charged blog post you will ever see me write by the way, so no worries that I am getting serious. On the whole, I find most of it dreadfully dull and tedious.

But nonetheless, I will be doing my American civic duty and placing my vote from abroad!